|
ARLINGTON -- HP sailed into new territory Saturday playing at Cowboys Stadium for the first time, but its season crashed on the rocks of five turnovers and costly miscues. The Scots never led, and could not capture the momentum against Mesquite Poteet in what was easily HP's most disappointing performance of the season in a 45-21 loss in the Class 4A Division II Region II semifinal. HP (12-1) suffered its only loss of the season on its biggest stage, losing in the third round of the playoffs for a third consecutive season. It was a momentus night, but for the wrong reasons as Poteet scored its first win over HP in the 15-game series. HP came into the game without a turnover in its two previous games but committed five against Poteet, something the Scots had only done in two other games in the past seven seasons. The Pirates (11-2), who have had a remarkable turnaround by advancing to the regional final for the first time after a 1-9 season last year, scored 17 points off the HP turnovers. Yet each one was costly in its own way. The Scots got the game's first break while each team played tentatively in the first quarter adjusting to their first games in the new football palace. Late in the quarter HP's Mauricio Garza got into the Poteet backfield and knocked the ball loose, and Thomas Perry recovered at the Poteet 29. It was Poteet's only turnover, creating a situation HP usually pounces on. But the Scots gave the ball back with a fumble of their own three plays later, negating a first down at the Poteet 10. The Scots' defense finished the season gaining at least one takeaway in all 13 games. An interception off a tipped pass on HP's next possession led to Poteet's first touchdown, and another tipped interception at the HP 36 midway through the second quarter led to another score and a 17-7 Poteet lead. The costliest mistake for HP arguably didn't come on a turnover but gave the ball away nonetheless. The Scots had rallied to within 17-14 and had just forced Poteet to punt with 1:04 left in the half after calling defensive timeouts to keep the Pirates from running out the clock. HP's fair catch at its own 44 and its chance to score on a short field was negated when the Scots were called for running into the punter. Poteet completed a 13-yard pass on the next play to cross midfield, then connected on a 43-yard touchdown strike down the middle for a momentum-grabbing 24-14 lead heading into halftime. The Pirates received the second-half kickoff and scored again on a 10-play, 80-yard drive, converting two third-down plays along the way. Poteet converted five of its first seven third-downs into first downs, and Courtland Crumby's 8-yard run gave Poteet a 31-14 lead to put HP in real trouble. HP came back with its own 10-play drive as Brady Burgin heated up with five completions for 65 of the 80 yards on the drive. Burgin found Dalton Stogner for a 5-yard touchdown to cut the lead back to 10 with 6:02 still left in the third quarter. The Scots' defense held Poteet for a three-and-out, and was on the move again on its next possession before another costly penalty. Burgin completed a 14-yard pass to Ben McElroy on third-and-four with 4:30 left, but the Scots were called for a chop block. Instead of a first down at the Poteet 30, HP faced third-and-19 at its own 41 and had to punt after an incompletion. Poteet's Steven Hicks broke loose on a 67-yard run on the next play, and Pirates quarterback Beau Nowell ran in for a touchdown that gave Poteet a 38-21 lead with 3:11 left. HP lost another fumble on its next possession, and Poteet put the game away with another Hicks touchdown run. The Scots had four fumbles in the game, losing two, and threw three interceptions in the game. Preston Miller led the Scots' ground game with 98 yards and a touchdown on only 10 carries, and Stogner had 104 receiving yards and a touchdown. Burgin finished 13-of-21 for 171 yards but with two interceptions. |
